


Wayward Intentions

by Zidd



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-16 17:13:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15441900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zidd/pseuds/Zidd
Summary: A year after the 'Venice Incident', Angela finds herself hitting a snag on her work and research. With the fall of Overwatch imminent, now more then ever she's desperate to get the Caduceus Staff done and turns to an unlikely ex-member of Overwatch. (A slow burn AU where Moira never took Gabriel's offer to join Blackwatch and some other small changes.)





	1. Nothing Else Left to Lose

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is going to be my intro fanfic as I get back into writing them. Bear with me, as it's been a few years but I hope it's worth reading. The chapters should get a lot more bulk to them as I go and work out the rust in my writing! Hope you're in for a long haul, because I got a pretty good, slow burn-ish story ahead!

_Anxiety_. It was something Angela had felt through her life. But now? Now it was hitting her harder than ever. Hands shook lightly as she read the paper, a fearful pang running through her chest. Yet another Overwatch slander article. It had been like this ever since the Venice incident.

Angela hadn't been personally attacked by the media, however, it was still nerve-racking. Morrison had been constantly reassuring the team after meetings, though it was only a matter of time before his words meant nothing.

What she feared more than anything was Overwatch's fall. It would mean the halting of her work, all funding would be taken away. She joined for the sake of saving lives.  
And now? Now her work and research had hit a snag. Angela was stuck.

Setting the paper down, Angela rested back in her chair, drawing a hand up from the armrest to snatch up her coffee cup and taking a shaky sip. "What am I going to do?" She was alone in her office, but talking to herself seemed to be a common thing, in large part due to her work.

Blue eyes shift to a pile of folders just on the right side of her desk and for a painfully quiet moment, she stared at them. More anxiety. It was building up and welling within her chest. She idly raised a hand to rub it as if trying to release that pressure. With a long-drawn-out sigh, she reached for a few folders, the folders themselves coming from her staff as she was far to busy to compile a list of names.

"Sebastian Hoffmann. _No_. Skilled in Nanotechnology but has failed many times to prove worthy in the community, also has stared at me during conventions." She rolled her eyes, throwing that folder into a pile that was clearly meant to be the 'no' pile.

"Asahi Kobayashi. Fellow Nanobiologist. Looks promising, however, a recent study of his backfired and killed a test subject." The look on Angela's face as she kept reading through his file had said it all. She threw it to the pile with a loud huff. "Scheiße... None of them are going to be good enough to help." Angela raised her hand pushing it through her hair, looking at the sheer amount of folders she had gone through, none would work. She was becoming desperate, she needed to push her work and research. To try to make a breakthrough before the fall of Overwatch.

Another long, deep breath. Angela's eyes open, peering down at the last two folders. One, however, stood out to her. Dr. Moira O'Deorain. An old colleague of hers. She was fired about a year from Overwatch. The concept of her even stepping foot back in headquarters was enough to draw a scowl.

Yet desperation surged through her, unyielding in its nature. She knew what she had to do, reaching for Dr. O'Deorain's folder and almost reluctantly opened it.  
Perhaps it was a mistake

"Perhaps- _No_. I can't. Her work is unethical." Angela gritted her teeth, arguing with herself on the matter. An internal conflict. Another sigh escaped the doctor, a second seeming to last an eternity. "For the better of the people." Angela gently reminded herself as she looked for the contact information.

Hesitant she reached for her private comm. Steeling herself she snatched up the comm before dialing up Dr. O'Deorain's number, before the anxiety caused her voice to catch in her throat.

"Hello, Dr. O'Deorain speaking. " No turning back now.

"Yes, hello. Dr. O'Deorain, this is Dr. Angela Ziegler from Overwatch. I was hoping you had a moment to speak?" Angela could feel her hands shaking once more, her voice faltering near the end.  
"Ah, Dr. Ziegler. It's been a while. I do in fact have a moment if you wish to speak." Angela gave a rather surprised look, curious how she had even gotten this far. She had almost hoped Dr. O'Deorain would have hung up on her.

"Wonderful. This is, rather personal. In a sense at least. It has to do with my research and work. However, I would rather you come here and speak to me in my office on the matter if it isn't too much trouble?"

The silence dragged on for several moments, Angela hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until Dr. O'Deorain's raspy voice rang through the phone. "Curious. You do realize that I was fired from Overwatch because my work was claimed to be radical, controversial and unethical?"

An apprehensive pang ran through her, unsure how to respond at first. "Yes. Again, this is a personal matter and nothing to do with Overwatch. I would pay for your flight here then have you brought in via chopper. None of the other members would know. I would need you to be here within the next two days."

"Send me details over comm and I will be there." There was suddenly a spark of hope, even if it was small. Angela couldn't help but smile to herself. "Thank you, Dr. O'Deorain. I'll get that sent as soon as I can. You have a good afternoon."

Angela didn't give Dr. O'Deorain time to say goodbye. There was no turning back now. No regretting. This needed to be done and if Dr. O'Deorain did say yes? She would convince Dr. O'Deorain to work in an ethical manner in exchange for access to her labs, to her equipment, and even her assistance.

In no time at all, Angela had pulled up and booked a flight once she received a comm message back from Dr. O'Deorain. With one final, long sigh, she sent the info before closing her comm, picking up her coffee and sipping at it. "The others won't question a chopper flying in." She stated matter-of-factly, trying to convince herself. "I often order things and have them brought here like this anyways." Pushing a few papers aside, she tilted her head back, trying to calm down. What a mess she was. "Now.. to relax for the day or go to the lab." Her eyes shut, Angela knew she wouldn't be able to just sit down. "The lab." With a huff, she pushed herself from her chair and headed to her lab.

* * *

 

The day moved painfully slow for Angela. A long meeting with her staff leading into work with Winston, testing Lena's chronal accelerator. Busy to be sure but time seemed almost at a standstill for Angela. She found herself in her office once more and soon, Dr. O'Deorain would be here for their meeting. Once more Angela's nerves were getting the better of her. Her leg bounced, fingers tapping on the desk as she tried to keep her mind busy.

"If I replace the electrolytic capacitor and change out the sealing and printed circuit, it could get the charge going," Angela spoke out loud, going over notes and reworks for her current project. Even deep into her work, her anxiety was eating away at her.

Moments felt like an eternity. It was maddening to Angela. To a point, she couldn't distract herself any longer. Pushing herself to stand from her chair, she made her way to the balcony that was attached to her office. Making her way down to the end of it, she used both arms as a cushion for her head.

One would think being a doctor, Angela would have had ways to cope with the anxiety. Her old methods had long-since stopped working, however. The fresh air helped, if only slightly.

Angela had lost track of time, just staring over Zürich. Just in view was a chopper making its way in, and Angela almost jumped, quickly making her way back inside and to the elevator to meet Dr. O'Deorain there. She could feel her hands shaking as she stood back, folding them to her chest to perhaps steady herself.

Once the chopper landed and the safety light clicked on, the hatch opened and a familiar red-headed woman stepped out. Moira O'Deorain. Angela had always felt intimidated by her. Not just because of her height, but those mismatched eyes, the way she always seemed to be calm and collected. So poised. Angela's breath was caught in her throat as Dr. O'Deorain made her way over. Angela took note of the way she dressed. A black button-up with a teal tie and brown slacks. It wasn't something she often remembered Dr. O'Deorain wearing when she had seen her during work, likely due to the lab coats.

Angela shook her head as if trying to knock the cobwebs out. "Afternoon, Dr. O'Deorain. Thank you for taking the time to do this. It means a lot." Angela offered a small nod as she turned to the elevator, pressing for the call button.

"It's really no problem, Ziegler. I wasn't busy. I'm very curious as to what you want to speak about." The way Dr. O'Deorain spoke sent a shiver through Angela's spine, but she paid extra attention to not let that be known, stepping into the elevator.

The ride down was silent, though oddly not awkward. Angela was quick to make her way down to her chair within her office, O'Deorain not far off, taking a seat on the other side of her desk.

Angela pulled over a large folder, opening it up and clearing her throat. Perhaps a way to rid herself of a shaky voice? "It has come to my attention that I've hit a snag on my work on the Caduceus staff." Her eyes would shift upwards from her papers to look to Dr. O'Deorain, who was giving her full attention. "I'm sure you remember seeing the early drafts of the blueprints and files when you worked here, yes?"

"I do remember going over it. I was intrigued by the idea. I had wanted to ask you about it, however, we had both been quite busy."

Angela gave a small nod before continuing. "I've been in the process of building it now, however, I'm stuck. I'm sure by now you've read all the papers. Overwatch may soon be shutting down. The public isn't happy. At this point, finishing the Caduceus staff is more of a personal mission and matter then it is Overwatch's." Angela gave a rather serious look now, clearly passionate about this. "My duty is to protect and serve the people. To help better the world in what ways I can. Even if Overwatch falls, I can still use the staff."

"So, what you're asking, Dr. Ziegler, is that you want me to help you finish the staff without the rest of Overwatch knowing and the chance of you losing your job and a possibility of me getting in trouble?" Angela felt her chest tighten at those words, even if they didn't sound bitter. "Curious... The great _Angela Ziegler_ breaking red tape and rules, going past those who rank higher than her. I never thought I'd see the day." Angela gripped the arm of her chair, her knuckles turning white as Dr. O'Deorain leaned forward onto the desk.

"I'm... desperate. I want to finish this. If Overwatch shuts down, my funding will be taken away. Overwatch allows me a lot of freedom with my work and research. Allows me to order whatever I need and doesn't ask questions. I trust them. I don't know if I could ever trust anyone else to fund my work."

"It could end up in the wrong hands." Moria had replied calmly. It caused Angela to perk. It seemed like O'Deorain understood what she meant. "And what, Dr.Ziegler, would I be getting out of this?"

Angela knew exactly how to answer this. "I'm unsure if you've continued your work after leaving Overwatch. And while I don't agree with.. some of your methods, I am offering you to use my lab and funding to further your research. And perhaps with my help, so long as you work in an ethical manner."

A worried pang ran through Angela's chest as she watched the Irish woman lean back into her chair and think. Both had gone totally silent for a moment. "Your lab? Here? Isn't that-"

"I wouldn't worry about what they think or know. They won't know, in fact. My office is connected to my lab. The elevator can take anyone, with the right card to my room, a guest room and the chopper pad above. It's all blocked off from the rest of the facility and no one can get to any of it without the right card." Angela eyed Moira closely for any reactions as she spoke, but the woman didn't give any. "That being said, you'd stay in the guest room and have full access to the lab and office as needed. A chopper service can be called if you need to go somewhere at any point. All this will be paid by me."

"An interesting offer. A risk, at that."

Angela watched as O'Deorain leaned back with a sigh, those mismatched eyes closing. "Take whatever time you need to think about it."

Once more, those eyes were staring at her, though in an appraising manner. "I'll be honest, Dr.Ziegler. I haven't found anyone to fund my work in the year that I was fired from Overwatch. I've done what I could with what I have, but it's only driven a nail between me and progress. So, I will take you up on this offer. Expect me and whatever I bring in two days."

Angela looked genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected such a quick answer let alone a yes. "All right. Send me a message via my private comm when you're on your way." Angela stood, as did Moira, shaking hands. "And, Dr. O'Deorain.. thank you again. This means the world to me."

When the taller woman offered a genuine smile, it made Angela that much more comfortable about this whole situation. "It's no problem, Ziegler. We're both helping each other in the end, both working to better humanity. That to me is worth the risk. Now, I must be off. I have a lot of things to take care of."

Following close behind O'Deorain,Angela used her keycard to open the elevator, offering a curt nod and a faint smile. "You have a good evening, then, Dr. O'Deorain" Mismatched eyes staring down at her. And with that, the elevator doors shut, Angela making her way back to her seat. Relief. But hopefully not short lived.

Angela pulled some papers close, taking a few notes, however, stopped suddenly, a smile gracing her features. Her mind drifted momentarily about how charming Moira had looked when there was a sincere smile on her face. Shaking herself out of the small daydream, she couldn't let herself get distracted. She had much work to do.


	2. Two shorten the road

Dead silence as two pairs of eyes stared each other down, unmoving, determined. Angela watched on not too far off from her chair, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.

Lena and Winston had been locked in a staring contesting and while Angela had lots of work to do, this moment of peace and innocence was something she was more than happy to take in.

She couldn't help but to smile as both kept on going, unblinking.. or, at least till Winston decided to change the game. "Boo!" His deep booming voice echoed in the testing room and Lena blinked before dashing forward to climb onto Winston. 

"No fair!" Lena clambered off of him when he started to laugh. "Rubbish! Fine, you win this time. Next time though!"

Angela stood with a faint chuckle, holding her clipboard to her chest. Watching Winston and Lena interact always seemed to help her feel better. "Now, shall we continue?"

Winston's hand reached up, carefully placing it on Angela's shoulder. "That's it for today I think, Angela. Lena seems to be doing fine. You look worn out. Take it easy today. Don't push yourself." The gentle smile on Angela's face had said everything.

"Thank you, Winston. I'll do my best. Things have just been stressful lately, but it's slowly looking better." Angela gave a small pat to his hand before he pulled it away. 

"Hows the Caduceus staff coming along?" Winston asked, sitting down in his chair nearby.

Angela's eyes briefly peered down to her clipboard. "Still stuck. I tried ordering something a few days ago but the part I got was faulty. I've got another coming in today." _A lie_. "I'm hoping I can make a breakthrough soon." 

"Let me know if you ever want my help. Perhaps we can work together and see if we can find a solution!" Angela once more offered a smile. Winston has always been kind to her. He was like family to her. It felt odd lying to him. Wrong, even. 

"I will. If I feel I am stuck enough, I'll be sure to send some notes along for you to look at." Angela sighed. "I should probably head back to my office. The parts will be here within the next few hours. I'll see you tomorrow?" 

Angela watched as Winston grabbed a pen, writing down some notes. "You know it. Tomorrow we'll be battle testing Lena. Likely with Genji. I wanted to run some test on him as well." 

"It should yield interesting results." Offering a small nod, Angela headed to the door, pressing the release button but Winston's voice rang out.

"Oh, and Angela?" Oh no. Had he caught on to her lies? Could he see it in her face? "Remember, don't work too hard."

Angela had been holding her breath. "Right. I won't." As the door closed behind her, she finally released her breath, clipboard pressed tightly to her chest. It took no time at all to get back to her office, avoiding all but her staff along the way, making sure they were doing well.

Plopping into her seat, Angela placed her clipboard down. Leaning back in her chair, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Scheiße. What am I doing? I lied to Winston." That familiar tightness in her chest was there again as she dwelled on what had just happened. It was so unlike her.

Moira would be here soon. Very soon. Now, actually.

The chopper could be heard not too far off into the distance. Unceremoniously, Angela stood and shoved her chair back, quickly making her way to the elevator, Moira's keycard in hand.

By the time she was on the chopper pad, the door had open. Out walked that tall Irish woman with a suitcase in hand and a Doberman at her side. Moira never mentioned a dog. Angela could only offer her a confused look as she pulled more suitcases and boxes from the chopper.

"I know what you're thinking. He's well behaved and fully trained. He won't be a problem, I promise." Moira had offered as she set down another box.

How could Angela expect any less from someone like her? Moira didn't seem like the type to have an unruly animal about. She was surprised she hadn't done any serious experiments on the canine. Perhaps she wasn't truly a bad person. "It's fine. I quite like dogs, anyway." 

Angela offered a smile as she shuffled over to help move the suitcases. Moira didn't protest as Angela took ahold of one, reaching out a hand to give the Doberman a pat on the head. "His name is Charlie. He's far more behaved than his sister who will be giving birth in a few months." Moira's chuckle that followed had easily caught Angela's attention, her eyes turning to look up at the redhead. "How charming." Angela wasn't sure if she meant the dog or Moira when it came to the comment, but she pushed the thought back.

"You know, Ziegler, you don't need to help." Angela set two more suitcases down near the elevator before turning around as Moira spoke.

"It's no problem, really. I'd hate for you have to do all this by yourself. It's the least I can do." As Moira pulled the last of her stuff from the Chopper, the door closing soon after. Angela took quick notice to the hand brushing haphazardly through that bright red hair. A nervous habit maybe?

It wasn't long before the chopper had been off and the two were loading up the elevator. "The white boxes and suitcases will go to the lab while the brown ones go to the room. I'll take care of most of it." After some time, everything had been put away or set up, Angela sitting in her chair in her office. As Moira stepped out from the lab, she'd make her to the chair opposite of Angela, across the desk.

"All done?" Angela asked, setting down a pile of papers, sitting up properly in her chair. 

"Yes. I happen to take a look at the staff while I was in there." Angela seemed to glare, Moira put up her hands defensively. "I didn't touch it. Don't worry, banphrionsa." One thing Angela didn't understand was Gaelic. She didn't take time to question what the word meant, either.

"Right, and what, Dr. O'Deorain, have you found?" Angela's words held the smallest hint of vexation and by the look on Moira's face that flashed for but a second, it was clear the taller woman was amused. 

"The entire design might be hindering it. I'd need to look further into it all. Perhaps a slight rework if my findings are correct?" 

Angela couldn't feel anymore annoyed. She remembered why she never worked with Moira in the past. Moira liked to always be right but so did she. It was perhaps a flaw of hers that was rarely ever seen. After all, most of Angela's life, she was right. She had always been in the right. The good person. That's what everyone told her.

"I've gone through other designs. They are too bulky and difficult to manage. Winston even approved and thinks that the current design will work with enough effort." Biting the inside of her cheek, she watched as Moira leaned forward. Those slender fingers tangling together as she gave Angela her full attention. Moira had been good at holding that calm, cool and rather bored look to her expression and it was hard for Angela to read. She didn't like that.

"Like I said, Ziegler; This is something we will look at together. You did call me to help and I'd advise you bite your pride at least a moment and listen to what I can offer."

Angela’s blood was boiling. The nerve of O'Deorain, claiming this was about _pride_. Angela didn't outwardly show her exasperation. "All right. Do what you need to do, Dr. O'Deorain. I'll be in the lab." And with that, Angela stood, her coat swaying as she made her way to the lab. She could have sworn she heard Moria chuckle but the sound of her own heels clicking on the tile floor was drowning out any other noise.

Comforting sounds overtook Angela as she stood in the lab. The faint humming of machines. The low lights. It was a comforting place for Angela. Her eyes shift about, catching sight of where Moira had set up. For now, it seemed well put-together and organized. Something expected by every scientist when they set up in a new place.

Shuffling any other thoughts from her mind, she turned back to the Caduceus Staff, or, at least what was put together so far. It was carefully suspended by an energy coming from a small machine below it. Just onto the long counter nearby were many blueprints and papers along with loose extra parts here and there, gathered neatly and labeled. 

A quiet sigh escaped Angela as she gathered the two most recent blueprints and a pen, looking over the general design. It had been rather bulky around the handle and slimmer in other parts. She was trying to see just what Moira meant. It was easy to pick up things here and there about the design that suddenly didn't make sense. For some reason, that angered Angela. That Moira was right. Why did that upset her so much?

Before she could even put a deeper thought into it, the door slid open. It caused Angela to jump, her head turning as those familiar mismatched eyes stared at her curiously. Moira had been wearing what she normally wore it seemed. Black button up, slacks and a tie, all mostly covered by the large white lab coat.

"Already working? Not surprised." Moira had offered in a teasing manner. It seemed more playful than mean. And while Angela had been a bit bitter about Moira, that playfulness seemed to subside some of it for the moment.

"I'm just looking over the design like you said. I... can see places here and there where some change could be made to fix a few problems." To Angela's surprise, Moira stepped right up next to her, their sides almost touching. It felt odd standing next to the taller woman, though this time it didn't feel intimidating. She couldn't put her finger on just what she felt now. 

Snatching up the pen from Angela's hand, Moira gestured towards the blueprints with her head. "May I? It's not the actual blueprint, yes?"

"Go for it. It's just a copy." Angela nodding back, folding her hands onto the metal countertop as she watched Moira draw over parts.

"You can make the actual handle slimmer if you use different wires and connectors. Most of the actual power and nano energy generators can be on the top and a few at the bottom. It'll end up being a bit top-heavy, however, if you can handle that, it won't be a problem." Moira's gaze turned back to Angela once more. "Where is your problem at the moment?"

Angela took in whatever information Moira had to offer, even with that bitter feeling of Moira being right lingering behind her. "It comes along near where the grips are. Just a bit after them. I can't get the connector for the energy beam to work right. I've spent weeks trying to re-wire things over and over."

When Moira nodded down to the now dawn over Blueprints, Angela took a good look. "Then test this design out. I'll help you put it together if you wish even. You might not be getting the power needed because it's so far down. rearranging things might just do it."

"I'm afraid it will be too heavy to carry and deal with."

Angela blinked when Moira stepped aside, putting a hand up to wave that problem off. "Change where the grip is and work out a little. It isn't hard to pick up a few weights." Moira's snide comment once more made her blood boil. Angela didn't reply back, though, glaring down at Moira's changes. She hoped to god Moira didn't see her, either.

Angela turned her gaze to look around, not spotting Moira at first. It didn't take long though when she heard the clinking of glass. A quiet but thoughtful hum followed from the taller woman as she set up her own workspace. Angela had been watching the entire time, too, only peering back at the blueprints when Moira seemed as though she was going to look her way.

Conflicted as ever. Angela knew having Moira here to help was going to be interesting, to say the least. She felt so many emotions today alone having the woman around. With a sigh, she grabbed the staff and tools to begin pulling it apart.

* * *

 

It was now later in the evening and Angela was done working for the moment. For once, she figured she would try and get some actual sleep after a bit of reading. For the past hour, Angela, with a book in hand, was on the couch in her office near the large windows, the lights dim with a comfortable glow.

Angela's office usually felt far more comfortable than her own room, so often she opted to stay down there to relax. On a nearby table was a mug filled with tea, still steaming. This was her comfort zone. Her place of peace.

One thing different, however, was that she forgot Moira was here and the ding of the elevator caught her off guard, jumping when the doors opened. There standing casually with a bored look had been Moira, sandwich in hand. She was missing the lab coat again and her button up was loose here and there, tie slightly undone. It was bizarre seeing the Irish woman so relaxed and comfortable.

Angela kept her gaze on the other woman as she haphazardly plopped down onto the other end of the couch, taking a bite of the sandwich. "What?" Moira had retorted in response to Angela's staring.

"Nothing. It's just jarring to see you-"

"See me being normal? A human?"

"No, that's not what I- Ah... that's not what I meant, sorry." Angela turned her eyes back down to her book, feeling embarrassed. Perhaps speaking her mind wasn't a good idea around Moira.

"I'm jesting, Angela. You need to learn to have a sense of humor." Between Moira's laugh and the fact she had called Angela by her first name totally drew her attention from the book once more, looking back at the red-head. Moira really did seem more human right now. Not that intimidating, collected and professional Geneticist she had always known her to be. Something about seeing this side of Moira drew a feeling of wanting to get to know her more.

"I'm not entirely used to having someone around so often, Dr. O'Deorain."

"Just, Moira. No need to use such heavy formalities all the time. If you'd rather, it's up to you." Moira offered Angela a shrug as she took another bite of her sandwich.

"R-right. Moira." Angela's eyes turned back to her book and it fell awkwardly silent for a few moments. Angela just reading her book and Moira eating her sandwich.

Angela almost couldn't take this odd, painful silence. Moira had been rather friendly and she didn't want to come off rude or unfriendly. After a small argument in her head, she finally decided to try and break the ice a bit. "So, I remember reading you were in Dublin? Do you live there or are you just working there?" Angela kept her eyes on her book, for now, only glancing over shortly to the red-head.

"Live there. Born and raised in Dublin. Most of my relatives have moved but a few still live there."

That awkward silence fell between them again as Moira finished her sandwich and leaned forward, her elbows onto her knees. Angela could feel eyes on her and turned her head to catch Moira staring at her. "What about you? Are you from Zürich?" Closing her book, Angela sets it off to the side before grabbing her mug, sipping at it before she responded. "Yes. I grew up here. My parents died when I was young during the Omic war. The Lindholms have always been the closest thing to family for me, though."

"Ah. I guess I could consider myself lucky, then. I had a pretty comfortable childhood myself. My father was a well-received scientist and my mother was an aspiring violinist. As you can tell, I tried to follow in my father's footsteps... sort of." Moira chuckled. Angela had found that low chuckle captivating.

"I didn't let my parent's death hinder my life. I strode to do what I could to help people. I attended a university at the age of seventeen. I wanted to help change the world in some way." A faint smile graced Angela's face as she spoke of her younger years.

"I do remember reading much about you, yes. How could anyone in the community not, though? You've changed the medical world with your discoveries on applied nanobiology. You've saved many people and you work for Overwatch. And here you are, this tiny woman hiding away in her office and lab." Moira's laugh was infectious and Angela couldn't help but smile bigger. Often people who knew Angela had spoken highly of her but in a different way. It didn't seem as genuine and more of a colleague praising someone as a generic response. When Moira did, it felt sincere. Perhaps she knew what it felt like to work all your life to try and change the world for the better.

Angela didn't know how to respond back to that properly, so she settled with teasing the red-head back. "Says the woman far taller than me." She laughed. "I'm truly not that short."

"You're short to me. Most people are. Makes it easy to intimidate people. Leaves me to be less social. I prefer it that way. I'm sure you of all people understand that." Moira would respond, leaning back into the couch.

Angela offered a short nod. "I don't have the pleasure of being intimidating. Nor do I care to be. I don't think anyone could ever even find me intimidating."

"What are you on about? With enough work, anyone can be. It's about stance and the look about you. Push back your shoulders and stick out your chest slightly. Keep your back straight and hold an impassive look about you. Oh, and stick to darker corners." Moira did all this as explained and it only caused Angela to giggle. _A giggle_.

"I'm sure if I tried that at some party, people would try to talk to me even more than normal. I'm not intimidating" Finishing off her tea, Angela set the mug down before returning her attention to Moira. It felt wonderful for once to have someone to just casually conversate with and not feel like she wanted to retreat to her lab.

A quiet sigh left Angela as she looked at the elevator doors. "I should perhaps try and get some rest for once. I have a lot of work to do on the staff tomorrow."

"I can help if you want, Angela. Don't be scared to ask. Two shorten the road, after all." Moira pushed herself from the couch. "You have a good night then."

Angela stood as well, snatching up the empty mug and her book. "We'll see how tomorrow goes. Thank you, though." She offered a smile to Moira who had started to make her way to the lab. The moment Angela had spoken, the taller woman had stopped and turned her head to offer a smile back.

"You go get your beauty sleep, _banphrionsa_."

"What does that even mean?" Angela asked as the elevator door opened but Moira didn't respond and headed to the lab. With an annoyed sigh, Angela shrugged it off and headed off to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick disclaimer: While a lot of things are canon divergence in an AU, this is me perceiving Moira and Angela the way I wish and trying to make them seem that much more human.
> 
> Also, is Moira faking all this well or is she being genuine? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z. Wait, wrong fandom...


End file.
